10/20/2025
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) Cancer Facts & Figures 2025, about 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetime, and about 1 in 43 women will die from it.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month started in 1985. Research supported, in part, by ACS has led to major advances, including:
1980s–1990s: Discovery of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes; FDA approval of Herceptin
2000s: Identification of breast cancer stem cells and genomic testing to guide treatment decisions
2010s: Approval of immunotherapy to treat triple-negative and HER2+ breast cancers
2020s: Promising developments in breast cancer vaccines and newer technology and tests that help improve early detection
Currently, there are more than 4 million people living with breast cancer in the U.S. ACS researchers expect that number to reach 5.3 million by 2035.
GET YOUR SCREENINGS: For women at average risk for breast cancer,
Women between 40 and 44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year.
Women 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.
Women 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms. Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live at least 10 more years.
